Panthers can win NFC South, beating Tom Brady’s Buccaneers
It seemed that Tom Brady might retire at the end of the playoffs, most likely after a loss in the playoffs, during this season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were for months the NFC South’s future default champion.
What if Brady and the Buccaneers are not in the playoffs? It’s possible.
It is also a question of whether Brady will. keep playing next season at age 46However, that does not have anything to do with the 2022 NFC South Race. The Buccaneers have put themselves in a position where a division title may not be assured. BetMGM’s odds These are my favorite.
You can now consider whether the Carolina Panthers will beat the Bucs. This could be a great opportunity to cash in a nice ticket for punters.
NFC South race tightens up
In the NFC South, week 14 was a fascinating one. In a 35-7 loss against the San Francisco 49ers, the Buccaneers looked terrible. They’ve been terrible throughout the season. However, they have many recognizable stars and play within an easy division so everyone assumed they would make it to the playoffs. It seems less likely that the Bucs will suddenly be playing well in postseason.
They might not make it to the playoffs. Carolina was able to pull within one game of Tampa Bay in the NFC South race last week when the Panthers defeated the Seattle Seahawks. Carolina is 5-8 while Tampa Bay sits at 6-7. BetMGM’s odds show that the Buccaneers are -350 to win this division. Carolina is +375. Although the 5-8 Atlanta Falcons (and the 4-9 New Orleans Saints) are still alive, the Panthers’ victory over the Buccaneers gives them an even better chance of winning the division title. This season, Tampa Bay is 1-0 against New Orleans and Atlanta.
The path to the Panthers is much clearer than what the odds would suggest. These are the remaining schedules of both teams.
Panthers: vs. Steelers, vs. Lions, at Buccaneers, at Saints
Buccaneers: vs. Bengals, at Cardinals, vs. Panthers, at Falcons
The NFC South could come down to the Week 17 Jan. 1 match between Carolina and Tampa Bay. The Panthers have already beaten the Buccaneers this season.
The Buccaneers were defeated by the Panthers in October
The Panthers had a record of 0-5 when they played the Buccaneers on Oct. 23. After their fourth loss, they had fired Matt Rhule, their coach. It seemed like an unlikely outcome when they beat Tampa Bay 21-13 in that game. It predicted that the Panthers would perform much better under interim coach Steve Wilks, and the Buccaneers weren’t the team we expected.
It also watches over the division race. The Panthers will win the head-to-head tiebreaker if they beat the Falcons on January 1. Carolina will need to win this game to claim the division. You’ve probably seen both teams play in recent weeks and know that it is possible. If the Panthers beat the Buccaneers, they will only need to match their record in all three other games. The Panthers are 2.5 points favorites against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Buccaneers are 3.5 points underdogs against Cincinnati Bengals. This week could see a tie in the NFC South for first place.
The odds favor the Panthers. A +375 underdog means that the Panthers are a 10- or 10.5 point underdog in a single match. For that crucial game at Tampa Bay, the Panthers will not be underdogs by double digits. Carolina has been playing well lately, particularly on defense.
Brady could get at least one more playoff win if the Buccaneers continue to win the NFC South. However, this scenario seems less likely than what the odds would have you believe.